California Legislators are TRYING AGAIN to legalize

California Legislators are TRYING AGAIN to legalize PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE AB 374 California Compassionate Choice Act

The bill passed its first Assembly Committee hearing on March 27, 2007.

Call, FAX or email you Assembly member and tell him/her that AB 374 is BAD PUBLIC POLICY because:

♦ California law already allows the refusal of extraordinary end-of-life treatment. AB 374
isn’t about improving care for the terminally or chronically ill; it is about legalizing as-
sisted suicide.

♦ AB 374 is strongly opposed by the American Medical Association the California Medical Association the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association, various disability rights, Latino civil rights and low-income worker advocates.

♦ Legalizing assisted suicide could seriously damage the relationship between patients and healthcare workers.

♦ The Legislative needs to work on real problems. There are 7.5 million Californians who do not have health insurance. The attempt to legalize assisted suicide has already failed three times
in California!

♦ AB 374 poses a danger to people with new disabilities or chronic diseases who often experience initial despondency but who late adapt well and enjoy life

Prepared and distributed by the California Catholic Conference.
For more information go to: www.cccatholic.org

We urge you to be “faithful citizens” and participate in this important issue.

To find your Assemblymember, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

As Catholics we oppose euthanasia or assisted suicide because we believe that human life is a
gift from God, that we are stewards – not owners – of that life. This, of course, informs and underlines our policy perspectives.